Survivor Stories offer profiles in courage, faith

The month of October is championed by many as a time to raise awareness for breast cancer, an awful disease that impacts many women -- and even some men.

You'll see pink flags this month, and marketing campaigns used to raise funds for mammograms and awareness. Early detection is key with this disease, and modern medicine has done much over the years to increase survival rates.

At the Southeast Missourian, we use this month to not only raise awareness for breast cancer (and cancer in general) but also highlight individuals who have survived many types of challenging situations.

In Tuesday's Southeast Missourian, a special section was published -- Survivor Stories. In the printed piece (and online at semissourian.com/survivors) you'll find stories about those who have faced health challenges, domestic violence, the death of a spouse, addiction, racism and poverty. In each story, the individual spoke about how they made it through the challenge. They're survivors.

These are stories of faith in God, perseverance, grit and determination. Each is inspiring.

The individuals profiled are Leslie Washington, Christy Parrish, Hayes Howell, Mildred Wilson, Jeremiah Williams, Robert Litzelfelner and LaKrisha Moore.

At 6 p.m. Oct. 27, these folks will share short TED talk-style presentations at One City about their story. The event is free, but seating is limited. Register to attend online at survivor2022.eventbrite.com. The talks will also be livestreamed on the Southeast Missourian Facebook page. We hope you'll join us in person or watch online.

Special thanks to sponsors Saint Francis Foundation and Lynwood Baptist Church for their support of this series and event.

We hope these stories will serve as inspiration to you in your own life, and we commend the seven people profiled for sharing their stories.